Getting to know your opponents is vital to winning!
You have just bought your chips and are ready to jump up right into a table
and get started. This article is geared to online Texas Hold'em playing, but it
is also helpful to Hold'em casino players. Before even creating a account at a
online casino (I suggest Doyles Room), you should know your limits. Okay you
know your limits and join a popular online casino, you click on a type of
Hold'em you wish to play and you stare at the list of tables in front of you.
Your bankroll will greatly affect which table you site at. If you have $500 to
spend, I doubt you are going to go to the $500/1000 Hold‘em table. Because you
could possibly be out on the first hand and lose a ton of money. You might
settle for a $1/2 game.
Decide before you go online if you are going to play limit or no limit and for
what amount. Be sure to know how much you are going to spend, this is explained
furthur here. Now browse through the tables you wish to play at. Do not play at
a table just because you are eager to play poker. Click once on the table that
you are thinking of playing at. The table info should appear on the screen.
Check the average pot at every table and the percent of players in on each hand
to see the flop. The more people in to see the flop and with the biggest average
pot will usually have either the most inexperienced players or the maniac
players who are more then willing to throw away their money.
Also, look at the other players bankrolls. I have found that new online players
usually set a limit for themselves, like only giving themselves $5 or $10 to
play with. Finding a game with everybody at this level is a goldmine and you
should be really happy. But usually there will always be users who are regular
players and take no pity on taking over your entire bankroll or losing there
entire bankroll trying.
Never be intimidated by these players. They are good, but anybody can win at
Texas Hold'em. Don't let anybody's bankroll scare you once you sit down at the
table. Some like to double the amount that you are currently playing with to
intimidate you. Do not be scared. In fact, you should make a goal to yourself to
win at least half of that money by the times the game is over. Now you are
seated. You should already be a custom to the buttons and the setup of the room.
If not, leave the real money table and sit yourself in a play money table to get
accustom.
Okay, action begins. This is when you should be paying 100% of your attention on
the board. Notice when every player checks and when they raise the pot. If they
raise the pot before the flop, they probably have a high pair, AK, or AQ. I have
noticed that a lot of players play any suited hand.
Paying attention to the board and the other players reactions can give you a lot
of hints of when to bet. Betting at the right time might give you a free pot.
Also watch other players that seem to use this technique a lot. If you have a
decent hand, you might want to re-raise him. Then when he checks the next round
of betting and you raise you have got him in a corner. If the player doesn't
seem like a frequent bluffer, than he might just be trapping you. Be really
careful on not labeling yourself as a frequent bluffer because players might try
to trap you a lot.
Being aggressive is said to be one of the best strategies and you can probably
win a lot of players money. But it is really important to know when you do not
have a good hand and when to fold the hand. As always Good Luck!